Family offers reward over gangland murder

The family of a 24-year-old man gunned down in a double gangland murder in Dublin have offered a reward to catch his killer.

Clondalkin car dealer Edward Ward was shot dead by a lone gunman on a motorbike in Walkinstown on Friday night.

Garage owner Brian Downes, 40, was also killed. He is believed to have been the intended target of the attack.

Mr Ward’s family today denied that he had any criminal links and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“He was his own man. He wasn’t a salesman for Brian Downes or he wasn’t an associate. He was paying all his taxes. He was a registered motor dealer,” said Mr Ward’s brother, Michael.

“Then some coward came in from the middle of nowhere and blew him away.

“Edward was involved in no criminal activities whatsoever. He was a straight, honest lad. He was doing his business. He loved his wife and kids. He loved life. He lived it to the full. His heart was stuck in his kids.”

He added: “My family and friends have put up a reward. We won’t say how much over the airwaves. We just want any information at all leading to the capture of the killer because Edward was an innocent bystander. It could be you or me or anybody.

Speaking of their parents, Mr Ward told RTE Radio: “This is going to kill them. They’re taking it very bad. Edward was the lynchpin. He was the jewel in our crown.

“We just want justice for our brother and make sure this thug doesn’t kill anybody else.”

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan said the Criminal Assets Bureau will now target small-time drug dealers as part of the fight against organised crime.

The minister is due to meet Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy today to discuss the recent escalation in gangland crime.

Labour Party justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said there were only four detections for the 21 gun murders in 2005.

“This situation is getting worse. Figures in the criminal world, which is driven by the enormously lucrative profits of the drug trade, are killing each other with impunity.”

He added: “Most alarmingly of all for our society, we had the casual recklessness directed at a young garda.

“We must improve Garda intelligence. There must be better use of resources and their deployment.”